Friday, October 10, 2008

The Three Musketeers

As the Seattle Repertory Theatre’s Production of The Three Musketeers unfolded, more than just the actors found humor in the dynamic character interactions and ridiculous succession of plot points. This comedic show carried the audience along, keeping the laughs rolling, the verbal tomato throwing active and the excitement bursting forth. The show made no pretenses as a serious dramatic story, but rather fed off the comedic drive inherent in the writing directing and acting.

From the moment the curtain rose, the audience was pulled into another one of the treats the show had to offer; the various fight scenes, artfully choreographed and consisting of weapons ranging from swords to muskets, and duos to octets. The staging of the fights was done by the renowned Rick Sordelet, fight choreographer for over 40 Broadway shows, including all the Disney shows. This production did not disappoint his reputation, in fact it was so gracefully employed that the plot seemed to stem from the fighting. The action scenes truly knew no bounds and utilized every aspect of the situation available.

One of those situations was the grand and industrial set, designed by John Arnone. With self-gliding props from candles to stairs to an altar that rose like an angel and descends like a demon, the playing space was surprisingly simple for its infinite shapes.

The ensemble worked very well together and played to their end with much gusto. The acting was appropriately overdone, with a laugh around every corner and no joke left un-chewed. With the exception of a few instances that were unnecessarily overblown, the characters fit the action perfectly.

The show meshed period and modern day styles by means of the costuming done by Nan Cibula-Jenkins, blocking and language. The show is suitable for all ages, so if your looking for a night of laughs and a great opportunity to be wowed with humor, come see: